I have finished the CSS longevity test. I like to think of longevity in terms of a year's worth of daily shaves, but I'll try to break it down several ways.
First, it's a lovely soap. It loads well and lathers well. The shaves were great and I'd definitely put it in the top tier category. I don't know that the maker would appreciate this characterization, but it is as close to an MdC clone as I could imagine. Since many shavers here have used MdC I will attempt to describe the differences. MdC loads a little faster - but only a meaningless few seconds, MdC lathers a tiny bit faster - but again, only a few seconds. I typically use MdC almost every day and never cover the jar. For this test I've been using CSS daily when home and didn't use the cover. Near the end of the test it did dry out to the point where it took considerably longer to load. This was no big deal as a little blooming eliminated the problem. I like the MdC lather slightly more, but it was close enough that I'm sure some shavers will say the opposite.
Longevity: CSS - 720 passes. 8 months of daily 3 pass shaves. A year of 2 pass shaves. Pretty darn good.
MdC - 1,154 passes. About 13 months of 3 pass shaves. 18 months of 2 pass shaves. Obviously better longevity.
As a comparison, most artisan soaps last me around 4 months, SV lasts longer and B&M considerably shorter.
I purchase MdC two at a time to save shipping, so if you purchase CSS in pairs it will cost $48.25 per puck, or $64 a year for daily 3 pass shaves. MdC runs $45 a year. CSS puck is only 175g, MdC is 200g.
Since I find them so close in performance it's unlikely I'll spend $64 instead of $45. But I just purchased a puck of SV, which cost me around $135 for a year of daily 3 pass shaves - it's expensive, but I like it. So there are good reasons to consider purchasing CSS.
You might want to support a small family run operation that makes a fine product.
You might like it more than MdC and think it's worth the extra money.
You might live in Canada and have a sense of national pride supporting fellow countrymen.
You might not care about a $19 price difference over the length of a year.
Maybe you had a bad experience with high school French and just don't want to purchase anything from that country.
I hope that helps. Enjoy your shaves.
First, it's a lovely soap. It loads well and lathers well. The shaves were great and I'd definitely put it in the top tier category. I don't know that the maker would appreciate this characterization, but it is as close to an MdC clone as I could imagine. Since many shavers here have used MdC I will attempt to describe the differences. MdC loads a little faster - but only a meaningless few seconds, MdC lathers a tiny bit faster - but again, only a few seconds. I typically use MdC almost every day and never cover the jar. For this test I've been using CSS daily when home and didn't use the cover. Near the end of the test it did dry out to the point where it took considerably longer to load. This was no big deal as a little blooming eliminated the problem. I like the MdC lather slightly more, but it was close enough that I'm sure some shavers will say the opposite.
Longevity: CSS - 720 passes. 8 months of daily 3 pass shaves. A year of 2 pass shaves. Pretty darn good.
MdC - 1,154 passes. About 13 months of 3 pass shaves. 18 months of 2 pass shaves. Obviously better longevity.
As a comparison, most artisan soaps last me around 4 months, SV lasts longer and B&M considerably shorter.
I purchase MdC two at a time to save shipping, so if you purchase CSS in pairs it will cost $48.25 per puck, or $64 a year for daily 3 pass shaves. MdC runs $45 a year. CSS puck is only 175g, MdC is 200g.
Since I find them so close in performance it's unlikely I'll spend $64 instead of $45. But I just purchased a puck of SV, which cost me around $135 for a year of daily 3 pass shaves - it's expensive, but I like it. So there are good reasons to consider purchasing CSS.
You might want to support a small family run operation that makes a fine product.
You might like it more than MdC and think it's worth the extra money.
You might live in Canada and have a sense of national pride supporting fellow countrymen.
You might not care about a $19 price difference over the length of a year.
Maybe you had a bad experience with high school French and just don't want to purchase anything from that country.
I hope that helps. Enjoy your shaves.
